The Kenworth T900 Legend is more than just a truck; it’s a rolling tribute to Kenworth’s Australian manufacturing history. This special edition vehicle, based on the classic T900, captures the spirit of old-school trucking with modern engineering.

With a limited production run of only 257 units, owning one is a mark of distinction, and for the team at Matamata-based J Swap Contractors, acquiring their T900 Legend was a unique opportunity to own a piece of history, brand new.

Securing a piece of history

The journey to adding the Legend to their fleet for J Swap Contractors was apparently driven by persistence. Service manager Andrew Swap credits salesman Adam McIntosh of Southpac Trucks for keeping the limited-edition model on their radar.

“He was keeping us in the loop... and annoying us,” Andrew Swap recalls jokingly. And it all boiled down to one question “Did we want to do it?”

Prompted by the rare chance to buy a 1990s-style truck in brand-new condition, a perfect complement to their fleet which already included restored classic T900s (ex-Mike Lambert with plates T9002 and T90011). Andrew says that the decision was ultimately a “Yep, righto, we’ll do it.”

He says that the ordering process itself was a one-shot deal, with all orders required on a single, specific day. However, all the paperwork was handled by Adam, and the truck arrived a year later. Build number 59, with the number plate T9OO59 – in keeping with their classics.

According to Andrew, the T900 Legend came with a largely predetermined, high-end specification package designed to honour its heritage. This included a Cummins X15 Euro V engine delivering 550hp, an Eaton 18-speed manual transmission, 46-160 Meritor diffs, and Kenworth air suspension.

A notable nostalgic touch was the engine being painted black with red rocker covers, reminiscent of the iconic Cummins N14 engine from the T900’s original era.

The interior was (and still is) equally impressive, featuring a Diamond VIT trim, a full white and chrome gauge package, leather seats, and a custom steering wheel and gear knob.

“They already had all the flash stuff on them... it was all part of the package,” Andrew says.

“We just choose the upholstery colour.”

J Swap Contractors configured its Legend as an alloy tipper and chose a unique colour scheme, reversing the fleet’s standard blue-on-white design to make the Legend stand out even more.

“We decided to do it as an alloy tipper, which I sort of regret now,” says Andrew.

“It would have been better, maybe as a tractor unit with a sleeper on the back of it. But anyway, that’s what we decided at the time.”

The impressive Kenworth was then sent to Cliff Mannington at Truck Signs for the signage and finishing touches.

A working showpiece

While it is a prized possession, the J Swap Contractors’ Legend is no hangar queen.

The truck performs general tipper work, the same as all the other trucks in the fleet, it’s even serviced with the same attention as the rest of the fleet. However, Andrew says that special care is taken to ensure it remains in pristine condition, with a dedicated driver assigned to keep it looking sharp.

“We definitely make sure there’s a driver on it that’s gonna keep it looking nice. You get different drivers that look after their trucks differently, those that keep it shiny and nice looking,” says Andrew.

The truck is a recognised standout, having been displayed at shows and even parked inside the company’s cafe for a month. Its presence is felt on the road, with Andrew describing it as one of the ‘certain trucks’ in the area that people notice.

During a separate interview, Stephen Swap told us that had he known at the time how good they were, he’d have probably gone for 10 of them.

Andrew laughs, “I don’t know about 10, but I definitely regret not having one as a tractor unit, that we could tow a transporter or trailer with. That would have been very cool.” 

Andrew confesses that despite him being behind the purchase and the subsequent attention, he has driven it but not spent a whole lot of hours in it.

“I’ve done a load in it, but not a whole day.”

The Legend from the driver’s perspective

Conversely, driver Wayne Booth, operated the Legend for two and a half years and covered 262,000km, and for him, the truck was a dream come true. He says he wasn’t working for Swaps at the time, but when offered the choice between the Legend and a modern Kenworth K200, he didn’t hesitate – at the job or the Legend.

A self-professed fan of “old school stuff,” Wayne had previously driven a T900 and loved the classic shape. He found the Legend to be a more comfortable modern interpretation of the original, while still retaining its classic character.

His affection for the truck was profound.

“To be honest, and this isn’t being silly, there’s nothing I didn’t like about that truck. I loved it from the day it went on the road,” Wayne says.

He adds, “I’m 60 now, and when I got that truck... It turned the clock back 30 years in how I felt.” 

This passion is translated into meticulous care. 

Booth considered keeping the truck in “like new” condition to be his personal responsibility.

“I washed it every night. I spent every Saturday polishing it. It’s just what I did,” he explains.

His dedication ensured the truck was always immaculate, drawing comments from other drivers on the CB radio who were amazed by its constant shine. For Booth, the effort was about personal pride and representing J Swap Contractors well.

“I needed it to look better than anything else,” Wayne says.

And in fairness, it does look legendary.